Haryana. The ongoing battle of checkmate in the Indian wrestling arena has now reached the doorstep of the country’s highest court. Vinesh Phogat was just breathing a sigh of relief after receiving the green light from a division bench of the Delhi High Court, when the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) tried to thwart her ambitions by approaching the Supreme Court.
The WFI’s petition, filed hurriedly on Thursday, sparked a heated debate in the Supreme Court on Friday. The federation argued that Vinesh had violated certain rules related to doping and whereabouts, and allowing her to participate in the trials would be unfair to other athletes. However, the court struck a balance and allowed Vinesh to take the field.
High Court’s decision confirmed, wrestlers will be tested under camera surveillance
The Supreme Court has upheld the Delhi High Court’s order that the selection process should be completely transparent. Following the court’s ruling, the entire trial scheduled for May 30th and 31st in Delhi will now be videotaped.
To ensure that sports fans and other athletes have no doubts, independent observers from the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) have been assigned to oversee the entire process. Vinesh’s lawyer, Madhavi Divan, stated clearly in court that she was not requesting any special treatment, but simply wanted a fair opportunity to prove her mettle.
Moving away from the pain of Paris and the politics of July, we turn our attention to Los Angeles.
Vinesh Phogat’s legal battle marks another chapter in her tumultuous career. Just before the 50kg final at the 2024 Paris Olympics, she was disqualified for being just 100 grams overweight.
After that heartbreaking accident, Vinesh emotionally announced her retirement. Later, she entered Haryana politics and was elected MLA from Jind’s Julana constituency on a Congress ticket. However, the fire within a true athlete never dies. On December 12, 2025, Vinesh announced her return to wrestling, making it clear that her ultimate goal was the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. These Asian Games trials are the first step towards that grand dream.